Supply chain Management has assumed a significant role in firm's performance and has attracted serious research attention

over the last few years. A literature review reveals a considerable spurt in research in theory and practice of SCM. Combining and informing on features of Supply Management and distribution Management. This integration has resulted in the concept of extended enterprise and the supply chain is now manifest as the collaborative supply chain across intercompany borders to maximize the value across the entire supply chain. A large number of research papers have been published in various journals in last two decades. In this paper an attempt is made to review the status of literature on Supply Chain Management. A literature classification scheme is proposed. A total of 588 articles from 13 refereed academic journals are classified into articles in five methodologies i.e. Exploratory, Normative, Methodology, Literature Review and Hypothesis testing. This literature review finds that exploratory type of research is mostly preferred it is expected that with the maturity of SCM the hypothesis testing method will pick up. The articles are further categorized in fifteen categories on the basis of content analysis. Based on this review, some possible research issues are identified. SCM has been interpreted by various researchers. Based on the relatively recent development of the supply chain literature, it is not surprising that there has been much debate as to a specific SCM definition. Ganeshan and Harrison (1995) has defined SCM as a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. Lee & Corey (1995) stated that SCM consists of the integration activities taking place among a network of facilities that procure raw material, transform them into intermediate goods and then final products, & deliver products to customers through a distribution system. Christopher (1998) defined the supply chain as the network of organizations that are involved, through upstream and downstream linkages, in the different processes and activities that produce value in the form of products and services in the hands of the ultimate customer. SCM is the " strategic and systematic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular firm and across businesses within a supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole" (Mentzer et al.2001). Various connotations of supply chain management given by other researchers are given in Table

Chopra and Meindl 2001 A supply chain consists of all stages involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customer request. Mentzer et al. 2001 The systemic, strategic coordination of the traditional business functions and the tactics across these business functions within a particular company and across businesses within the supply chain, for the purposes of improving the long-term performance of the individual companies and the supply chain as a whole. Handfield & Nichols 1999 A supply chain encompasses all activities associated with the flow and transformation of goods from the raw material stage, through to the end user, as well as the associated information flows. Christopher 1998 The supply chain is the network of organizations that are involved, through upstream and downstream linkages, in the different processes and activities that produce value in the form of products and services in the hands of the ultimate customer. Lee & Corey 1995 The integration activities taking place among a network of facilities that procure Raw material, transform them into intermediate goods and then final products, & deliver Products to customers through a distribution system Ganeshan and Harrison 1995 A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products customers. Cooper & Ellram 1993 SCM is an integrative philosophy to manage the total flow of distribution channel from the supplier to ultimate user Cavinato 1992 "The supply chain concept consists of actively managed channels of procurement and distribution. It is the group of firms that add value along product flow from original raw materials to final customer. Towil, Naim,and Wikner 1992 "The supply chain is a system, the constituent parts of which include material suppliers, production facilities, distribution services, customers linked together via the feed forward flow of materials and the feedback flow information

Scott & Westbrook 1991 supply chain is used to refer to the chain linking each element of the process from, raw materials through to the end customer

Novak & Simco 1991 "The supply chain management covers the flow of goods from supplier through manufacturer and distributor to the end-user

Vaart and Pieter (2003) drawn conclusions on the need for an interdisciplinary approach, combining the technical and relational aspects from the respective fields of system dynamics and collaboration in order to deliver superior order replenishment performance. Gunasekaran and Ngai (2005) indicated that E-Business, product, and service-quality, all have a significant direct effect on customer behavioral intentions to purchase again. Balakrishnan and Cheng (2005) reviewed and update the methodology based on spreadsheet that provided enhanced solutions in complex environments with multiple products and bottleneck situations. Nagarajan and Sosic (2004) reviewed literature dealing with buyer vendor coordination models that have used quantity discount as coordination mechanism under deterministic environment and classified the various models. Based on this conceptualization of SCM, the existing literature was examined, in an effort to identify the extent to which these underlying elements were present in SCM academic research to date. A review of previous literaturestudies, as highlighted in Table 3 (Appendix A), provides the basis for how this review extends our understanding of SCM research. Burgess et.al. (2006) reviewed 100 randomly selected articles from 614 usable articles found in the ABI/Inform Database across a 19 year (1985 to 2003) period.. Their sample addressed manufacturing and consumer goods industries, and the research articles reviewed by them focused on a more narrowly defined operations management approach to Supply Chain Management. They classified the articles into four groups, namely (1) Descriptive features of SCM, (2) Definition issues, (3) Theoretical concerns and (4) Research methodological issues. They found SCM to be a relatively young field with exponential growth in interest from researchers in the recent past. The importance of this research in contrast to Burgess et al. (2006) is that instead of sampling 100 articles from a pool

of 614 over a 5-year period, we examined 588 articles over 18 years. This not only makes for a more in-depth review, but provides a larger base from which to chart the maturation of the SCM field. It also helps to assess gaps in the literature and project future trends, thereby underscoring the importance and robustness of this study. Finally, Burgess et al., include books, manuscripts and conference proceedings while this research focuses solely on published articles in peer reviewed SCM journals.

Croom et al. (2000) analyze 84 studies on SCM in terms of level of analysis and research methodologies, but the time period for their data collection is ambiguous. Their study represents an early attempt to categorize the SCM literature. Significant growth has taken place both in the practice and theory of Supply chain Management since this attempt, making it necessary for reviews of current knowledge and literature. Finally they describe and categorize the research methods into two dimensions: theoretical and empirical and do not provide the number of articles associated with each level of analysis. Rungtusanatham et.al. (2003) carried out a comprehensive review of 285 SCM articles published in 6 operations management journals during a period of 21 years from 1980- 2000. They noticed the occurrence of major changes in the last 5 years of their sampling period, and that two topics stood out as showing fastest ascendancy to prominenceoperations strategy and supply chain management. They observed that the SCM related articles increased significantly after the first half of 1990s, thereby implying the increased interest of researchers in this field and accelerated growth of this discipline. It shows that SCM is a booming and growing field, and offers plenty opportunities in research.

Giunipero et.al. (2008) in a recent literature review of a decade of SCM literature note that the literature, in reality, is still very fragmented and although several studies purport to discuss supply chain issues, most of the existing research only examines one link of the chain, or more importantly only focuses on one ingredient in the supply chain performance mix. They pointed out that the SCM literature reviewed by them revealed several gaps identified by them as (1) Small sample sizes (2) One-tier investigations (3) Limited methodological analysis (4)Lack of longitudinal studies, and (5) Limited global supply chain analysis.

Daniel G. Bachrach, Ph.D. The study of the nuances of human behavior in supply chain management (SCM) contexts and the behavioral reactions that accompany changes in operating policies has finally started to gain a strong headwind. This has come after several decades of operational modeling in which the behavior of the human actors, so critical to the mechanics of operating policies, has either been largely simplified or ignored. With the growth in joint work in experimental behavioral testing and improvements in behavioral codification, greater insight into the practicality of operational policies is now emerging. Yet in order to ensure such practicality, the rigor of this new joint experimentation needs to be ensured. While SCM researchers have a rich history in the rigor of artificial modeling, the sparse history of behavioral experimentation in SCM provides much less evidence of an understanding of what "rigor" with such methods entails. The purpose of this brief essay is to touch on some of the basic tenets of rigorous behavioral experimentation, and hopefully to promote such rigor in future SCM behavioral studies. R.K. Gupta* and Pravin Chandra** With the fall of East European Socialist-Bloc and opening up of the Asian markets, the trade barriers began falling during the 1980s and continued throughout the 1990s. This development lead to organizations having a supply chain, that criss-crossed the whole globe. The proliferation of trade agreements has thus changed the global business scenarios. The Integrated Supply Chain Management (ISCM) is now not only a problem of integrated logistics (as a process) but also demands that the supply chain management (SCM) must look into the ramifications of these arrangements on the cost of transportation (including tariffs or duties) of products within a trade zone and outside it, besides, developing logistics strategies. The field has thus developed in the last few years for bridging the gap between demand and supply vis--vis efficiency and cost trade-offs. The SCM now not only involves the management of logistic function, as was done in the past (to achieve internal efficiency of operations) but, includes the management and co-ordination of activities, upstream and downstream linkage(s) in the supply chain.

M. Rungtusanatham., Ph.D. A scenario-based role-playing experiment is well suited for research seeking to understand how and why operations and supply chain managers, when dealing with complex issues, form their judgments and preferences or make the decisions that they do. As a method for data collection, a scenario-based role-playing experience deploys varying versions of a descriptive vignette to convey scripted information about specific levels of factors of interest that are hypothesized, upfront, to influence judgments, preferences or decisions. Human subjects are recruited to assume an a priori defined role and, in this role, to then form their judgments and preference or make their decisions in response to the scripted information conveyed in at least one version of the vignette. For these judgments, preferences or decisions to be useful for subsequent statistical analysis, the vignette and its varying versions to be deployed in a scenario-based role-playing experiment must be appropriately designed (i.e., written and presented) and validated. This commentary speaks to this "vignette design and validation" issue and prescribes a three-stage process to create a vignette with its derivative versions that is clear, realistic, complete (in that it contains all information necessary for human subjects to assume their role and to consequently provide their reactions and responses), and is effective (in that it cues human subjects to perceive the desired levels of the factors of interest).

Enno Siemsen, Ph.D. Behavioral supply chain management emphasizes the use of controlled laboratory experiments as a valid research methodology. This article discusses control, efficiency and responsiveness as unique advantages of behavioral experiments. While often sacrificing external validity, laboratory experiments allow the clear temporal separation of cause and effect, as well as the exclusion of spurious causes through randomization. Further, they are efficient to run, requiring little cost and time compared with extensive field studies or multiple site surveys. This makes it easier to use observations made in experiments to change theoretical models, since modified predictions can be more easily tested on new data., is an assistant professor in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Cynthia Kay Stevens, Ph.D.

He is an associate professor in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Researchers often face strong opposition to the use of student samples in laboratory studies. Rather than eschewing this methodology, it is useful to consider theoretical scope (universalistic versus particularistic) and the study's primary purpose (internal versus external validity). When theories are universalistic or the study's purpose is to establish internally valid relationships, laboratory studies with student samples may yield useful insights in supply chain management research.

Rodney W. Thomas Increasingly, suppliers are being tasked to spend large amounts of time with strategic customers in order to promote effective knowledge sharing and coordination between supply chain members. Suppliers also are expected to deal with added pressures on their time from increasing workloads, unanticipated problems and changing priorities. Psychology research suggests that individuals (e.g., supplier personnel) cope with such time pressure by either working faster or avoiding risks. Existing research, however, has largely ignored the impact of these time pressure coping mechanisms (TPCMs) in interactive contexts such as buyer-supplier relationships. This study develops the notion that TPCMs impact knowledge sharing in buyer-supplier relationships. Specifically, results from a between subjects scenario-based experiment indicate that suppliers using TPCMs decrease a buyer's willingness to share knowledge and exchange information. Such adverse effects are most evident in close collaborative buyer-supplier relationships. These findings advance theory and provide insight for managers seeking to improve knowledge sharing through buyer-supplier relationships in today's time-constrained business environment.

Yunsook Hong, Ph.D When developing products such as computer, machinery and automobiles, interdependent components developed by different first-tier suppliers must fit together and perform as expected in the final product. Applying information processing theory and social network theory, this research explores three approaches that buyers can use to manage the interface between interdependent first-tier suppliers during product development. These are (1) using an interactive team; (2) making a supplier-supplier

connection by encouraging first-tier suppliers to communicate, coordinate and mutually adjust; and (3) using a modular design. Data were gathered in an online survey of buying firms in manufacturing industries and hypotheses were tested using hierarchical moderated regression. Results show that interactive teams increase the quality of the component system, and that modular designs increase product development efficiency. Interactive teams are more beneficial for system quality when the technology used for components is new to suppliers..

Alexander de Grahl, Dipl.-Wi.-Ing The use of logistics outsourcing and the degree of competition in the logistics service industry have significantly increased over the past decade. In order to reach and maintain an important role in such a business environment, logistics service providers (LSPs) have to find ways to achieve competitive advantage. In this regard, the role of flexibility as a potential source of competitive advantage for an LSP is unclear, as empirical research on flexibility in an industrial services context and specifically in logistics outsourcing relationships is lacking. Therefore, using the resource-based view theory as the theoretical foundation, this study develops a conceptual model of flexibility as a capability of an LSP and its impact on customer loyalty, a central outcome for LSPs in a competitive business environment. Further, taking a relational as well as a knowledge perspective with respect to the antecedents of flexibility, the relational capability collaboration and the knowledge resources of supply chain partner insight and communication are integrated into the model. Finally, the relationships of collaboration as a capability with knowledge resources as well as with customer loyalty are considered. This study analyzes 155 logistics outsourcing relationships using a survey method and partial least squares structural equation modeling to empirically assess the proposed relationships. The results reveal that LSP flexibility is a strong driver of all core dimensions of customer loyalty (i.e. retention, extension and referrals) and thus a source of competitive advantage for LSPs. Further, collaboration positively influences LSP flexibility and also the loyalty dimensions, supporting its significant role in a supply chain relationship. Finally, knowledge resources have a positive effect on LSP flexibility as well as on collaboration, indicating the importance of such resources in facilitating crucial capabilities..

Journals
Supply Chain Forum: an International Journal It explores all the aspects of logistics, supply chain and operations management. It is concerned with the management and optimization of flows in the supply chain from primary supplier to final customer. It provides in-depth research articles and company case studies that enrich both the knowledge of the discipline and the practices of Supply Chain Management. Contents of the journal and the associated web site are targeted to academics (professors, researchers), students and practitioners (supply chain managers, consultants). Although past research has addressed optimal patient scheduling to improve the utilization of operating theater resources (physicians, specialized equipment, and operating rooms), not much research has attempted to optimize material requirements and safety stocks to support these optimized schedules. To quantify these opportunities, the authors develop an analytic optimization framework for planning and executing material quantity preparation and placement decisions to support hospital operating theaters.
International Journal of Integrated Supply Management (IJISM)

Today, as never before, firms are realising they must work to effectively manage the domestic and international supply of products and services into, through, and out of their firms to customers. Ultimately, effectively integrated supply management results in lower costs, higher quality, better customer service, and higher profits for the organisation, its suppliers and its distributors. The IJISM aims to attract and publish empirical and theoretical papers from all disciplines regarding supply integration issues throughout the firm and its domestic and international supply chain partners. No other journal today offers such a wide forum as this where integration issues across the supply chain are discussed and disseminated. The objectives of the IJISM are to attract and publish empirical and theoretical manuscripts from academics in all disciplines and professionals

regarding a wide range of supply management issues including purchasing and other incoming supply issues, internal materials management, information systems and quality issues, and outbound supply, logistics, and customer service issues. Ultimately, the IJISM seeks to promote the practice of integrated supply management throughout domestic and global supply chains. Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management It is an international journal published twice a year that aims to advance knowledge and science and stimulate greater thought and effort in the field of Operations Management theory and practice, by publishing papers that are both academic with rigorous methodology as well as have managerial relevance. It is a peer reviewed journal available online to the ultimate goal to contribute with the development of O&SCM knowledge in different markets. JOSCM provides readers with new and helpful information; new theory or techniques; research generalizations about OM thoughts and practices; OM understanding by researchers and practitioners; creative views and syntheses of dispersed concepts in OM; and articles in subject areas which have significant current impact on thought and practice in OM and which present challenges for the future. The primary audience includes researchers who are interested in advancing the field and practitioners who manage product and process design, operations, and supply chains. The journal presents to this audience the concepts, theories, and research methods that address currently unresolved issues in operations management. International Journal of Operations & Production Management The paper's purpose is to provide a motivation for investigating the relationship between supply chain management (SCM) and information and communication technology (ICT), to describe associated theoretical and practical problems and to introduce the papers of the special issue. The paper is partly based upon a short literature review, including the papers of the special issue. An important finding is that the relationship and integration of SCM and ICT in all papers of this special issue are strongly intertwined with managerial and organizational theory related issues.

The paper suggests three possible avenues for building theory in the joint field of SCM and ICT on the one hand and organizational theory on the other hand. Implicitly the paper argues for a better use of organizational and managerial insights to increase the usage and implementation of ICT in the context of SCM. The paper offers a research agenda for incorporating organizational theory to develop the integration of SCM and ICT. International Journal of Logistics: Research & Applications It publishes original and challenging work that has a clear applicability to the business world. As a result the journal concentrates on papers of an academic journal standard but aimed at the practitioner as much as the academic. High quality contributions are therefore welcomed from both academics and professionals working in the field of logistics and supply chain management. Papers should further our understanding of logistics and supply chain management and make a significant original contribution to knowledge. In this context the term 'logistics' is taken in its broadest context as "the management of processes, flow of materials and associated information along the entire supply chain, from raw materials through to the final user of the product". The journal covers all aspects of logistics and supply chain management including, but not limited to, the topics and areas listed below:
        

Inbound and outbound logistics including distribution, transport, warehousing, 3PL and 4PL Materials Management MRP, DRP, ERP and Vendor or Co-Managed Inventories (VMI) Modelling and simulation of logistics and supply systems and processes Decision support tools, methods and systems such as Value Stream Mapping Intra and inter enterprise communication tools and methods such as EDI, Internet, Extranet, RFID Approaches and methods for Collaborative, Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) Mass Customisation, Order Postponement, Responsiveness Supplier Development

WEB SITE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain_management Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers. A customer focused definition is given by Hines (2004:p76) "Supply chain strategies require a total systems view of the linkages in the chain that work together efficiently to create customer satisfaction at the end point of delivery to the consumer. As a consequence costs must be lowered throughout the chain by driving out unnecessary costs and focusing attention on adding value. Throughout efficiency must be increased, bottlenecks removed and performance measurement must focus on total systems efficiency and equitable reward distribution to those in the supply chain adding value. The supply chain system must be responsive to customer requirements." http://www.hypersciences.org/JSM/Iss.1-2010/JSM-2-1-2010.pdf Supply chain Management has assumed a significant role in firm's performance and has attracted serious research attention over the last few years. A literature review reveals a considerable spurt in research in theory and practice of SCM. Combining and informing on features of Supply Management and distribution Management. This integration has resulted in the concept of extended enterprise and the supply chain is now manifest as the collaborative supply chain across intercompany borders to maximize the value across the entire supply chain. A large number of research papers have been published in various journals in last two decades. In this paper an attempt is made to review the status of literature on Supply Chain Management. A literature classification scheme is proposed. A total of 588 articles from 13 refereed academic journals are classified into articles in five methodologies i.e. Exploratory, Normative, Methodology, Literature Review and Hypothesis testing. This literature review finds that exploratory type of research is mostly preferred it is expected that with the maturity of SCM

the hypothesis testing method will pick up. The articles are further categorized in fifteen categories on the basis of content analysis. Based on this review, some possible research issues are identified. http://lcm.csa.iisc.ernet.in/scm/supply_chain_intro.html A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into intermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers. Supply chains exist in both service and manufacturing organizations, although the complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry and firm to firm. Below is an example of a very simple supply chain for a single product, where raw material is procured from vendors, transformed into finished goods in a single step, and then transported to distribution centers, and ultimately, customers. Realistic supply chains have multiple end products with shared components, facilities and capacities. The flow of materials is not always along an arborescent network, various modes of transportation may be considered, and the bill of materials for the end items may be both deep and large. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969701299000301 There can be little dispute that supply chain management is an area of importance in the field of management research, yet there have been few literature reviews on this topic (Bechtel and Mulumudi, 1996, Proceedings of the 1996 NAPM Annual Academic Conference; Harland, 1996, British Journal of Management 7 (special issue), 6380; Cooper et al., 1997). This paper sets out not to review the supply chain literature per se, but rather to contribute to a critical theory debate through the presentation and use of a framework for the categorisation of literature linked to supply chain management. The study is based on the analysis of a large number of publications on supply chain management (books, journal articles, and conference papers). www.elsevier.com/locate/dsw The build-to-order supply chain management (BOSC) strategy has recently attracted the attention of both researchers and practitioners, given its

successful implementation in many companies including Dell computers, Compaq, and BMW. The growing number of articles on BOSC in the literature is an indication of the importance of the strategy and of its role in improving the competitiveness of an organization. The objective of a BOSC strategy is to meet the requirements of individual customers by leveraging the advantages of outsourcing and information technology. There are not many research articles that provide an overview of BOSC, despite the fact that this strategy is being promoted as the operations paradigm of the future.